鸵 (tuó) — ostrich (bound form, used in compounds)

Definition

A bound character meaning 'ostrich', only used inside compounds such as 鸵鸟 (ostrich). Never used as a word on its own.

bound form

ostrich (bound form, used in compounds)

Easily confused

，。
tuó Niǎo bú huì fēi, dàn pǎo dé hěn kuài.
Ostriches can't fly, but they run very fast.
。
tuó Niǎo zhèng cè zhǐ de shì huí bì wèn tí de zuò fǎ.
The 'ostrich policy' refers to the practice of avoiding problems.
。
Dòng wù yuán lǐ yǎng le jǐ zhī tuó niǎo.
The zoo keeps several ostriches.

Sound + meaning

六书liùshū

形声xíngshēng

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鴕; 鸵 is its simplified writing.

鳥它鴕

Meaning part形符xíngfú

鳥鳥niǎobird

Sound part声符shēngfú

它

它tā鴕tuó

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 鴕 pairs 鳥 (bird) with 它 as a sound part; the simplified 鸵 is a shorthand and its right side is not a historical component.